Title changed to reflect Jaguar's new name, and since it is only about a foot shorter in length and ~3 inches less in width and height than a Tesla X, I don't think it should be called "compact"...

The amount of detail in the AC story below may indicate Jaguar's first entry in the luxury BESUV market really will be available in dealerships in only ~two years.

Jaguar E-Pace compact SUV will be Jaguar's first EV

Low-roofed, performance oriented electric E-Pace is set to go on sale in 2018; will use Formula E honed tech

Jaguar has been given the green light to launch a compact all-electric SUV by 2018, putting it ahead of its Range Rover sister brand in the race to get a battery-powered vehicle into showrooms.

The electric Jaguar is due to be revealed by the end of this year...

With the brand emphasising performance and handling prowess, the new electric Jaguar is set to get all-wheel drive. Although this new platform uses aluminium construction, it has little in common with the structures used to underpin JLR’s current generation of aluminium cars.

The front and rear crash structures, suspension mounting points and sills are all made of aluminium. However, much of the strength of the structure comes from the battery pack, which forms the backbone of the structure and takes up the whole floor area...

The front motor develops 114bhp and drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. The rear motor is good for 195bhp and drives through a two-speed ZF gearbox, adapted from the unit used by the BMW i8, Autocar understands. Combined output is around 308bhp, but torque hasn’t yet been revealed.

Twin motors should permit very dynamic tuning of this platform, offering torque vectoring for stability control and to help the car turn in to corners. It will also be possible to switch between front, rear and all-wheel drive almost instantaneously...

Their new electric SUV has a name update along with HP, etc. ... a 90 kWh battery puts it in the upper end of what the Tesla Model X currently offers (they now have a 75, 90 and 100; dropped the 60) but it will be smaller and that rakish rear hatch will reduce the utility aspect; the side profile photo of it in the distance makes it appear a bit like a SUV version on BMW's i3 IMO.

Not sure exactly where you could charge this during a long trip (a guess would be with SAE DC stations if they could handle it) but 80% after 90 minutes for say 176 miles of range (stated EPA range is about 220) may still be a bit too long and not enough for some travelers. The existing Supercharger network that Tesla has in place (that continues to expand as well) may be still a big deciding factor until (and if) the new US Government effort to put in EV charging corridor is ever put in place for competitors.

No price given either but with a Tesla X 90D listing at $95K will assume it won't be significantly less but we'll see ... as this will be Jaguar's first, they may have an advantage if the Fed Tax Credit stays in place as they would have lots of these to sell here before hitting 200K as the timing seems to coincide with Tesla's Model 3 delivery ramp up.

redLEAF wrote:Their new electric SUV has a name update ...No price given either but with a Tesla X 90D listing at $95K will assume it won't be significantly less but we'll see ...

Jaguars's F-PACE starts at ~$42 k, so I would not be surprised if the I-PACE's "much lower (than Tesla X) " base price was somewhere near $60 k, before incentives.

Remember that (at least untill the laws are changed) Jaguar gets the same financial benefits from ZEV credits (and other government incentive programs) that have allowed other manufactures to (almost) give away three year leases on lower-priced BEVs.

...Jaguar has enjoyed strong U.S. sales of its 2017 F-PACE SUV, helping drive a 93 percent rise in year-over-year U.S. Jaguar sales from January until OctoberThe I-PACE targets the same wealthy, environmentally aware consumers now driving Tesla's Model X SUV. But Eberhardt said Jaguar's vehicle will be "a much lower price point" than the most premium Model X offering, which fully loaded can cost about $130,000...

Saw this earlier today. Looks awesome! That article estimated the price at $70k.

This looks very attractive to me. I only recently learned about the Volvo PIH SUV and was thinking that would work well for us. If I can hold onto replacing until this is available, I will definitely look/test it and might get it. Drool...

The front motor develops 114bhp and drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. The rear motor is good for 195bhp and drives through a two-speed ZF gearbox, adapted from the unit used by the BMW i8, Autocar understands. Combined output is around 308bhp, but torque hasn’t yet been revealed.

These figures will lag far behind Tesla 90kWh models. Also that 2-speed transmission was not designed to be shifted in full power.So Jaguar will only be a competitor with different performance figures and VERY limited fast charging capability.

If they release their vehicle without solving charging they will not get far. Like Toyota with Mirai.

The lowest-spec F-Pace starts out at ~$42k, so it's likely the I-PACE will be priced much closer to a similarly equipped Tesla 3 (when and if it is introduced) than to a Tesla X:

...the I-Pace exploits the packaging advantages of an electric powertrain to marry a sleek four-door bodystyle with generous cabin space, four-wheel drive capability and performance on a par with a rear-wheel-drive Jaguar F-Type R.

The definitive production version of the I-Pace will be revealed at the end of next year, with most of the concept’s key features likely to be carried over. The car will go on sale in 2018 at a price expected to be about 10-15% above that of an F-Pace of similar specification...

Drivetrain:

...The I-Pace Concept’s drive is provided by a pair of synchronous permanent magnet electric motors, one integrated into each axle and paired with a single-speed epicyclic transmission. The powertrain provides four-wheel drive, immediate response from a standstill and rapid torque distribution between the two axles.

Each motor produces the equivalent of 197bhp, meaning the I-Pace Concept has 395bhp and 516lb ft on tap. Jaguar’s claimed 0-60mph time for the car is 4.0sec...

kW accepted from DC:

...Jaguar has future-proofed the electrical architecture to accept higher-capacity charging than 50kW DC when such charging points become commonplace...

Pack design is clearly superior to all Teslas, IMO:

...Power is stored in a 90kWh lithium ion battery pack. The battery uses 36 pouch cells selected for their energy density and thermal performance. They operate at a lower heat, so they can run at a high performance for longer than cylindrical cells.

Jaguar said pouch cells offer excellent future development potential, especially in terms of energy density. This will enable greater range for a given size of battery, or deliver similar range to today but from a smaller, lighter pack.

The pack is liquid-cooled using a dedicated two-mode cooling circuit. In moderate ambient temperatures, the battery improves efficiency by relying only on a radiator to remove the heat generated by the cells. At higher temperatures, a chiller linked to the vehicle’s main air conditioning system provides greater cooling capacity to keep the battery in optimum condition...

The size is nearly identical to theTesla 3 in length and width, but being about 5 inches taller, having about 5 inches longer wheelbase, and with a rear hatch, it looks to have much more interior volume and utility.

...At 4680mm long, 1890mm wide and 1560mm tall, the I-Pace Concept is smaller in each dimension than the F-Pace, in particular its height. However, the most significant difference is in the wheelbase: Jaguar has pushed the electric car’s out to 2990mm, compared with the F-Pace’s 2874mm...

Was at LA Auto Show today and saw this - somewhat. They had it on a raised podium so couldn't get that good of a look.

But I did get to look at the new F-Pace which I would think would be very similar to how the I-Pace will actually be when it hits the street as opposed to the concept version. If that is the case, I think it can work, though I wasn't too enthused with the F-Pace styling while the I-Pace I found to be rather attractive.

However, I doubt I will wait all the way until late 2018 for my next car so this will probably be too late.